Airport Codes List: IATA, ICAO, USA & International Travel Guide

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Airport Codes List: IATA, ICAO, USA and International Travel Guide

Use this airport codes list to find common three-letter IATA codes, understand when ICAO and FAA identifiers matter, avoid wrong-airport bookings, and build a cleaner airport codes list PDF for travel planning.

Quick answer: for normal passenger travel, use the three-letter IATA airport code shown by your airline. For aviation operations, flight planning or weather data, you may see four-letter ICAO codes. In the United States, FAA location identifiers also appear in official airport records.
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Independent reference page: Airport-Guides.org is not IATA, ICAO, FAA, TSA, an airline or an airport authority. This guide explains common airport codes and travel use cases. Always verify the code on your airline booking page before buying a ticket, shipping luggage, booking parking or arranging pickup.
Answer first

Airport codes list: what travelers actually need

An airport code is a short identifier for an airport or travel location. The code most travelers need is the IATA code, such as ATL for Atlanta, LAX for Los Angeles, JFK for New York Kennedy, ORD for Chicago O’Hare and DFW for Dallas/Fort Worth.

Search intent around “airport codes list” is usually practical. People are checking a ticket, building a PDF, studying aviation codes, confirming a city, comparing countries or making sure they are not booking the wrong airport.

IATA

Use for passenger travel

Use IATA codes on flight searches, tickets, boarding passes, baggage tags, airline apps and most travel websites.

Takeaway: If you are booking a commercial flight, the three-letter code is the one to check first.
ICAO

Use for aviation context

ICAO codes are mainly used in flight plans, operations, weather products, air traffic systems and aviation records.

Takeaway: If a code has four letters, it is probably not the normal booking code.
PDF

Use PDFs carefully

An airport codes list PDF is useful offline, but airport names and services can change. Verify before acting on the code.

Takeaway: Print for study; verify for travel.
Interactive lookup

Airport code finder for common USA and international airports

Search by code, airport, city or country. This tool is a curated quick-reference list, not a live database of every airport in the world.

Showing popular airport codes.

Pro tip: If your city has several airports, confirm the airport code before choosing a hotel, rideshare pickup, rental car or parking lot. New York, Chicago, Washington, London, Paris, Toronto and Delhi-area travel can be easy to mix up.
Code types

IATA vs ICAO vs FAA airport codes

Many “airport codes list” searches mix different code systems. That causes mistakes because the same airport can have more than one identifier depending on the use case.

3

IATA airport codes

Format: usually three letters.

Examples: LAX, JFK, ORD, DEL, LHR, DXB.

Where seen: tickets, baggage tags, airport display boards, airline apps and booking engines.

Use it when: you are buying or checking a passenger flight.
4

ICAO airport codes

Format: usually four letters.

Examples: KLAX, KJFK, KORD, VIDP, EGLL, OMDB.

Where seen: aviation weather, flight tracking data, flight plans and operational documents.

Use it when: you are reading aviation data, not a normal ticket.
FAA

FAA location identifiers

Format: U.S. identifiers can be three or four characters depending on facility type.

Where seen: FAA airport records, charts, operations data and facility references.

Use it when: you are checking U.S. airport records or aviation references.
USA airport codes list

Airport codes list USA: major airports travelers search most

This USA airport codes list focuses on passenger airports that commonly appear in flight searches, baggage tags, travel itineraries and U.S. airport guides.

East and Northeast USA

New York JFKJFK
Newark LibertyEWR
New York LaGuardiaLGA
Boston LoganBOS
PhiladelphiaPHL
Washington ReaganDCA
Washington DullesIAD
Baltimore/WashingtonBWI

South and Southeast USA

Atlanta Hartsfield-JacksonATL
MiamiMIA
OrlandoMCO
Fort LauderdaleFLL
TampaTPA
CharlotteCLT
NashvilleBNA
New OrleansMSY

Midwest USA

Chicago O’HareORD
Chicago MidwayMDW
Detroit MetroDTW
Minneapolis-St. PaulMSP
St. LouisSTL
Kansas CityMCI
Cleveland HopkinsCLE
IndianapolisIND

West and Southwest USA

Los AngelesLAX
San FranciscoSFO
Seattle-TacomaSEA
Las Vegas Harry ReidLAS
Phoenix Sky HarborPHX
DenverDEN
Salt Lake CitySLC
San DiegoSAN
USA PDF tip: If you need an airport codes list USA PDF, print this page or save it as PDF, but still verify your actual itinerary in the airline app. Some cities have multiple airports with very different ground-transport plans.
By country and region

Airport codes list by country: India, UK, Canada, Europe and international hubs

A country-by-country view helps when a city name is familiar but the airport code is not. It also reduces mistakes on international routes where a city may have several airports.

Airport codes list in India

DelhiDEL
MumbaiBOM
BengaluruBLR
HyderabadHYD
ChennaiMAA
KolkataCCU
AhmedabadAMD
KochiCOK
Takeaway: India airport codes often reflect older city or airport names, so do not guess from the city spelling.

Airport codes list UK

London HeathrowLHR
London GatwickLGW
London StanstedSTN
London LutonLTN
London CityLCY
ManchesterMAN
EdinburghEDI
BirminghamBHX
Takeaway: “London airport” is not specific enough. Check the exact airport code before booking trains or hotels.

Airport codes list Canada

Toronto PearsonYYZ
VancouverYVR
Montréal TrudeauYUL
CalgaryYYC
OttawaYOW
EdmontonYEG
HalifaxYHZ
WinnipegYWG
Takeaway: Many Canadian passenger codes start with Y; verify the city because the letters may not look intuitive.

Airport codes list Europe

Paris Charles de GaulleCDG
Amsterdam SchipholAMS
FrankfurtFRA
Madrid BarajasMAD
Rome FiumicinoFCO
ZurichZRH
ViennaVIE
DublinDUB
Takeaway: Europe has many secondary airports marketed by nearby city names. Check distance to the city center.

International airport codes list: Middle East and Asia hubs

DubaiDXB
Abu DhabiAUH
DohaDOH
IstanbulIST
Singapore ChangiSIN
Tokyo HanedaHND
Seoul IncheonICN
Hong KongHKG
Takeaway: For long connections, check whether you land at the same airport you depart from.

International airport codes list: Latin America and Oceania

Mexico CityMEX
CancunCUN
São Paulo GuarulhosGRU
Buenos Aires EzeizaEZE
SantiagoSCL
SydneySYD
MelbourneMEL
AucklandAKL
Takeaway: In large metro areas, confirm whether the airport is the long-haul gateway or a domestic/secondary airport.
PDF and offline use

Airport codes list PDF: how to make one without using stale data

Searches like “airport codes list pdf,” “airport codes list usa pdf” and “airport codes list by country pdf” usually come from students, travel planners, airline trainees, logistics teams and frequent flyers. A PDF is helpful, but it should not be treated as a live authority.

Use this page for a quick structured reference.
Start with the region you need: USA, India, UK, Canada, Europe or international hubs.
Print or save as PDF.
Use your browser’s print command, or click the button below to open the print dialog.
Add a verification note to the file name.
Use a filename such as airport-codes-list-verify-before-travel.pdf.
Check official sources before booking.
Use IATA, the airline, the airport website, FAA data for U.S. identifiers, or ICAO references for operational codes.
PDF warning: Do not rely on an old airport codes list PDF for airline ticketing, cargo routing, school exams or operational work without checking a current official source.
Real traveler problems

Airport code mistakes that cost travelers time and money

NYC

Using a city code as if it were one airport

Metro areas can have several airports. New York may involve JFK, LGA or EWR. Washington may involve DCA, IAD or BWI.

Action: match airport code to hotel, pickup point and airline terminal before booking transport.
OLD

Assuming the code follows the current name

Some codes reflect older names. ORD does not look like Chicago O’Hare, and BOM does not look like Mumbai.

Action: search the code, not just the modern city name.
ALT

Booking a cheaper secondary airport

Secondary airports can be far from the city. A cheaper fare may become expensive after rail, bus, taxi or overnight timing.

Action: compare total trip cost, not just airfare.
BAG

Wrong code on baggage or shipping

Baggage tags and cargo routing depend on the correct destination code. Similar city names can cause avoidable delays.

Action: verify the printed baggage tag before your bag leaves the counter.
ID

Forgetting U.S. ID rules

For U.S. airport screening, travelers 18 and older need acceptable identification. TSA guidance changed after REAL ID enforcement began.

Action: check TSA’s current acceptable ID page before domestic U.S. travel.
MCT

Assuming same-city transfers are easy

A flight arriving at one airport and departing from another can require immigration, baggage, ground transfer and new security screening.

Action: avoid tight separate-ticket connections across different airport codes.
Step-by-step check

How to verify an airport code before you travel

Start with your airline itinerary.
Find the three-letter airport code for departure, connection and arrival.
Search the airport’s official website.
Confirm the current airport name, terminal system, transport pages and alerts.
Check the city-airport relationship.
Look for nearby alternate airports that may share the city name in ads or travel packages.
Confirm ground transport before payment.
Parking, train stations, rental-car counters and rideshare zones are tied to the exact airport code.
Keep proof visible on travel day.
Save the itinerary, airline app and boarding pass so pickup drivers and hotel staff can verify the code quickly.
  • Match code to airport name, not only city name.
  • Check terminal and airline after the code is confirmed.
  • Use official airport pages for changing travel-day details.
  • For U.S. travel, check TSA ID requirements before leaving home.
FAQs

Airport codes list FAQs

What is the difference between an IATA airport code and an ICAO airport code?
An IATA airport code is usually the three-letter code travelers see on tickets, boarding passes and baggage tags. An ICAO airport code is usually a four-letter operational code used in flight planning, aviation data and air traffic systems.
Where can I verify an airport code before booking a flight?
Use the airline booking page, the airport’s official website, IATA’s official code search for IATA codes, FAA sources for U.S. location identifiers, and ICAO location indicator references for aviation-use codes.
Is an airport codes list PDF always accurate?
No. A PDF can become outdated when airports are renamed, new airports open, or codes are reassigned. Use a PDF for quick reference only and verify the code through an official source before booking or shipping luggage.
Why do some airport codes not match the city name?
Some airport codes reflect old airport names, nearby cities, historic names, local spelling, or code availability at the time of assignment. Examples include ORD for Chicago O’Hare and YYZ for Toronto Pearson.
Which airport code should U.S. travelers use on airline tickets?
Use the three-letter IATA code shown by the airline or online travel agency. For normal passenger travel, codes such as JFK, LAX, ORD, ATL and DFW are the codes used in booking, baggage and check-in systems.
Official source audit

Official airport code sources to use before travel